Emergency release mechanism for clothes wringer rolls



Jan. 18, 1955 E. A. WAGNER 2,599,663

EMERGENCY RELEASE MECHANISM F OR CLOTHES WRINGER ROLLS Filed July 25. 1952 Fig. I. 5

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Inventor: Ernest'A.Wagner',

His Attorrie United States Patent EMERGENCY RELEASE MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WRINGER ROLLS Application July 25, 1952, Serial No. 300,911

3 Claims. (Cl. 68263) The present invention relates to emergency release mechanism for clothes wringer rolls. It hasto do particularly with emergency release mechanism of the type shown in the patent to Dunham, 2,336,233, patented December 7, 1943, assigned to the same assignee as is this application, and has for its object to provide an improved constructiin and arrangement of release mechanism which, while equally as reliable and satisfactory as that of the Dunham patent, is simpler in structure, capable of being manufactured at lower cost, and has certain advantages from an operating standpoint as pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a clothes wringer embodying the invention, the emergency release mechanism being shown in latched or fastened position; Fig.2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the emergency release mechanism as having been released, andFig. 3 is a top plan view ofthe wringer with parts broken away for illustrative purposes.

Referring to thedrawing, 1 indicates the wringer head to which is attached the wringer frame 2, the end stiles of which are indicated at 3 and 4. Extending lengthwise of and covering frame 2 is a top frame member 5 which, at its one end is pivotally connected to wringer head 1 as is indicated at 6. The upper and lower wringer rolls are indicated at 7 and 8 and the bearings for them are shown at 9 and 10. The coupling for connecting the lower wringer roll 8 to the reversing gearing in head 1 is indicated in dotted lines at 11. Extending transversely of head 1 and mounted for both turning and sliding movement therein is a shaft 12 having operating handles 13 at its two ends. It is centered axially in the head by springs 14 and 15 which surround the shaft end and are positioned between the inner faces of the handles and the adjacent head surfaces. Handles 13 and shaft 12 have a neutral position in which a conventional wringer reversing gearing clutch, not shown, is in neutral or open position. When shaft 12 is turned from neutral position by either handle 13 in one direction through a short angle the reversing gearing clutch is moved in a direction to effect through the gearing turning of the wringer rolls in one direction, and when the shaft is similarly turned from neutral in the other direction the clutch is moved to effect turning of the rolls in the other direction. Reversing clothes wringer drives of this type are known and their construction and operation well understood by those familiar with clothes wringer design; and since their specific construction forms no part of the present invention, they have not been illustrated. As an example, the mechanism may be that disclosed in the aforementioned Dunham patent. Carried by top frame member 5 is an adjusting screw 16 the inner end of which is pivotally connected, as indicated at 17, to a leaf spring pressure bar 18, the two ends of which engage the tops of the bearing blocks for upper roll 7. As is well understood bar 18 serves to yieldingly press upper roll 7 into engagement with lower roll 8, the pressure on the rolls being varied by adjusting the screw 16. The wringer drain board is indicated at 37.

The structure so far described is a known one and is to be taken as typical of a suitable wringer structure in connection with which my invention may be used.

My invention has to do with an improved construction for normally holding top frame member 5 in latched position on frame 2 and for releasing the latching means when shaft 12 is moved axially in either direction from its normal centered position to permit top frame member Patented Jan. 18, 1955 5 and leaf spring bar 18 to move upward to release the pressure ofbar 18 on the wringer rolls.

The end of top frame member 5 opposite to that pivoted on head 1 is connected to end stile 3 of the wringer side frame by. a toggle comprising a pair of parallel links 19 arranged on opposite sides of stile 3 (only one of which shows in the drawing) which form one arm of the toggle and a link 20 which forms the other arm of the toggle. Link 20 is in the form of a cap which functions also to cover the end of the wringer side frame and as a resetting lever for the toggle. Links 19 are pivotally connected at one end to stile 3 as is indicated at 21 and link 20 is pivotally connected at one end to top frame member 5 as is indicated at 22. Links 19 and 20 are pivotally connected together as indicated at 23, the connection inpin 24 carried by and projecting inwardly surface of link 20. The toggle is held in cluding a pivot from .the inner latched position by a bell crank lever comprising lever:

arms 25 and 26, the bell crank lever being pivoted at its elbow on end stile 3 as shown at 27. Arm 25 has a projecting. nose 28 which forms a downwardly facinghook which engages over the top of pin 24 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 when the toggle is in latched position and a finger 29 adapted to be engaged by pin 24 whenthe toggle is moved from unlatched position as shown in Fig. 2 to latched position as shown in Fig. l to guide the pin into lever arm 25 from engagement with pin 24 by a spring 35; oneend of whichis connected to arm 33 andthe other end to head 1. Arm 33 is held normally from movement caused by spring 35 by a disc 36 fixed on shaft 12 against the periphery of which the side of arm 33 normally rests as shown in Fig. 1.

When the mechanism is in normal operating position for wringing, the several parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. l, the arm 25 of the bell crank lever being in engagement with pin 24 to hold the toggle in latching position and the bell crank lever being held from movement by arm 33 which rests against disc 36. Shaft 12 may be turned by handles 13 for normal operation of the wringer without disturbing the latching mechanism since disc 36 can turn relatively to the arm 33 without releasing it. If new shaft 12 is moved axially in either direction, (a thing done by the operator to release the pressure between the rolls in case of an emergency, for example), disc 36 is moved from behind arm 33 permitting spring 35 to initiate turning movement of arm 33 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1 and thus through actuating link 31 turn the bell crank lever 26 to rotate arm 25 upward to release or unlatch the toggle. As soon as the toggle starts to move the pressure between the rolls assists spring 35 in elfecting further toggle movement to move pin 24 from engagement with nose 28. Pressure between the rolls then forces the toggle upward to a position such as that shown in Fig. 2. Movement of arm 33 is limited by its engagement with shaft 12. To reset the emergency release it is necessary merely to push down on toggle link 20 which now functions as a resetting lever for the toggle. Toward the end of this movement pin 24 engages finger 29 to turn the bell crank lever to bring nose 28 over the top of pin 24 and through actuating rod 31 to turn arm 33 from its position at the side of disc 36 as shown in Fig. 2 to a position such that the centering springs 14 and 15 can move disc 36 and shaft 12 back again into line with arm 33. Sutficient lost motion is provided in the leverage system to permit of arm 33 being moved far enough for disc 36 to move under it; then when the operator releases the parts after they have been reset, spring 35 will move arm 33 back again. against disc 36. In connection with the resetting operation it will be noted that the energy required to relatch the mechanism is supplied entirely by the manual operation of toggle link 20.

My improved construction has the important advantage that the force required to move shaft 12 axially to release the wringer rolls is substantially independent of the roll pressure on the toggle, the force required being merely as indicated at 34. Arm 33 is biased to turn in a direction to. move bell crank.

that required to move disc 36 from behind arm 33. At the same time the latching is positive and would not be effected by failure of spring'35. This results to a substantial extent from the fact that bell crank lever arm 25 engages over the top of pin 24 in holding the toggle in latched position and is held positively in latching position by disc 36. Spring 35 needs to be only strong enough to start to move the toggle when arm 33 is released which means that the pressure between arm 33 and disc 36 will not vbe great so that the disc can be easily moved from behind the arm.

The mechanism is simple in structure, comprises few parts, and is reliable in operation. In addition, it is capable of being manufactured at low cost.

' What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1.'In a clothes wringer, a head, a frame, wringer rolls in the frame, a top member, means pivotally connecting one end of the top member to said head, means carried by the top member for applying pressure to the rolls, a toggle pivotally connecting the other end of the top member to the frame, a pin carried by the toggle, a bell crank lever pivoted on the frame, one arm of which has a nose which engages over the top of said pin to hold the toggle down to latch said other end of the top member to the frame, a shaft which extends transversely of said head and which is axially movable relatively to the head, a disc on said shaft, an arm pivoted on the head in line with said disc, normally resting against the periphery of said disc, a spring which biases said arm into engagement with said disc, and a link connecting said arm to the other arm of said bell crank lever.

2. In a clothes wringer, a head, a frame, wringer rolls in the frame, a top member, means pivotally connecting one end of the top member to said head, spring means carried between the top member and said frame for applying pressure to the rolls, two arms pivotally attached respectively to said top member and said frame, a pin pivotally connecting the two arms together at points remote from said respective pivoted attachments to form a toggle, a lever pivoted on the frame having a hook which engages over the top of said pin to lock the toggle in a latching position wherein said top member holds said spring means in pressure applying position, a transversely movable control shaft in said head, a projection on such control shaft, an arm pivoted on the head, a spring which biases said arm to a position against said projection, and a link which connects said last named arm to said lever whereby when said shaft is moved to move the projection from behind said last named arm said spring becomes effective to move said lever to release the toggle and permit of upward movement of said top member.

3. In a clothes wringer, a head, a frame carried by said head, wringer rolls in said frame, a top member, means pivotally connecting one end of said top member to said head, spring means arranged to be confined between said top member and said frame for appplying pressure to said rolls, latch means pivotally secured to said frame engageable with said top member to retain said top member in pressure applying position, a wringer control shaft extending transversely through said head and journaled for axial movement, a latch operating link extending from said latch means to a position adjacent said control shaft, means biasing said operating link in a direction to disengage said latch, and means including a disk on said control shaft normally limiting latch' releasing movement of said link.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,133,234 Voss Oct. 11, 1938 2,336,233 Dunham Dec. 7, 1943 2,342,259 Etten Feb. 22, 1944 

